Overview

In 2017, the federal government announced Canada’s 10-year National Housing Strategy. The goal of this strategy is to make sure Canadians across the country can access housing that meets their needs and that they can afford.

In 2018, the federal and Ontario government signed a bilateral agreement under the National Housing Strategy to set out the terms of the partnership.

Under the NHS, there are three initiatives that are cost-matched and delivered by Ontario:

  1. Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI): Protects affordability for households in social housing, supports the repair and renewal of existing social housing supply, and expands the supply of community housing over time
  2. Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI): Provides funding to address local housing priorities, including affordability, repair, and new construction
  3. Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB): Provides an income-tested, portable housing benefit payment directly to eligible vulnerable households in housing need

Action plans under the NHS

As part of the National Housing Strategy (NHS) bilateral agreement, Ontario is required to develop an action plan every three years.

The action plans outline how Ontario will use NHS funding and provincial and municipal cost-matched funding to achieve targets and outcomes. The targets and outcomes are mutually agreed upon by the federal and provincial governments.

Community housing renewal: Ontario’s action plan under the National Housing Strategy

Read our 2019–2021 plan to address community housing and homelessness in Ontario.

Ontario’s interim Action Plan under the National Housing Strategy

Read our 2022–2023 interim plan to address community housing and homelessness in Ontario

Ontario’s Second Action Plan under the National Housing Strategy (2022–2025) 

Read our second plan to address community housing and homelessness in Ontario.

Ontario’s Third Action Plan under the National Housing Strategy (2025–2028)

Read our latest plan to address community housing and homelessness in Ontario.

Ontario’s challenges and needs

Of all Canadian households in core housing need (a measure of housing affordability, suitability and adequacy), 44.1% are located in Ontario, the highest in the country. But Ontario only receives about 38% of funding from the federal government.

Filling this federal funding gap would ensure service managers and Indigenous program administrators have certainty and funding stability for their housing and homelessness services.

The Province continues to advocate for municipalities and Ontarians to receive their fair share of funding from the federal government. These additional revenues would flow to municipal service providers to ensure Ontarians can get the housing they need.